Midday Chats and Exploding Snap
by the Azbaban Dreamer
Summary: While Harry and Albus play Exploding Snap, Ginny, James and Lily discuss their improving relationship. Sequel to my first story, Midnight Chat


Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling

* * *

Ginny Potter was busy rummaging in the kitchen, trying to find her Husbands hiding place where he secretly stashed the contraband chocolate that she tasted last night when she kissed him. She searched the kitchen thoroughly before deeming the task a lost cause.

Harry and Albus assured her at breakfast that the chocolate that they had last night was a bar given to Albus by Scorpius and that there was no other chocolate in the house.

But Ginny wasn't fooled. She knew her Husband and Son like the back of her hand and she knew that they weren't being entirely truthful. ' _Those two_ ' She thought fondly. ' _Far more alike then they care to admit_ '.

As if on cue, the sounds of Exploding Snap and laughter came from the Living Room where Harry and Albus were playing their game.

Ginny's expression softened as she listened, remembering her own game with Harry back at the end of her First Year at Hogwarts all those years ago.

* * *

 _She was all alone. A scared little girl in the Gryffindor Common Room. It was her first night after being let out of The Hospital Wing after her ordeal in The Chamber of Secrets. She was sitting in the far corner where no one paid her any attention. She didn't blame them. Not after all the things she had done. She was still surprised that she wasn't expelled. She had been stupid to trust Tom. She was lucky that no one had died. Hermione Granger told Ginny that she didn't blame her in the slightest. But Ginny still felt guilty for what had happened._

 _She would have thought that Percy or Fred and George would come to try and cheer her up but they were busy. Fred and George were laughing with Lee Jordan whilst Percy was doing Prefect Duty. Percy hardly spoke to her after the incident in the Chamber._

 _He just inquired how she was and then proceeded to ignore her. He was clearly still sore after she accidentally walked in on him snogging Penelope Clearwater the other day. Something that she wouldn't forget anytime, soon._

 _Ron seemed to have eyes only for Hermione. Despite helping Harry rescue her from The Chamber, he seemed to take her wellbeing for granted._

 _Ginny put her head in her hands and screwed up her eyes, lost in her misery, determined to fight the howl of anguish that was threatening to escape her, when she heard her name being called._

" _Ginny?"_

 _She looked up to see Harry Potter looking down at her with a concerned expression on his face and a pack of cards in his hands._

" _Do you want to play Exploding Snap with me?" He asked her._

 _She felt her face go red and words failed her and she accidentally knocked her books to the floor with her elbow. Why did she have to make a fool of herself right now when Harry was going out of his way to speak to her?_

 _She nodded vigorously and Harry sat down and began to set up the cards, taking no notice of the fallen books. He never seemed to mind her clumsiness which she was very grateful for. As if sensing her uneasiness, he looked up and gave her a reassuring smile which made her heart melt. His smile gave her the strength to find her voice._

" _T-thanks." She stammered._

 _For the first time since her ordeal in the Chamber, Ginny laughed during her game with Harry. She was having so much fun, that she forgot her crush on him. In that moment, it was if as he were her friend. Perhaps one day,he could be her friend and maybe, just_ _ **maybe**_ _, if it wasn't for that stupid crush, he would like her back._

* * *

Ginny smiled at the memory and imagined what her eleven year old self would do if she was told that she would end up marrying Harry Potter.

' _Probably blush_ ' she thought dryly. ' _Or faint._ '

Harry was doing for Albus what he did for her all those years ago.

Despite all the things that he had to go through, he had never stopped being that caring person that she fell for all those years ago.

He was never one to give up and Harry and Albus's improving relationship was testament to that. Both were as determined as each other to heal the divide between them.

Ginny was washing up as James came shuffling into the room, jet black hair a complete mess and looking worse for wear after his night out with his Cousin, Fred.

"Morning." He groaned as he sank down at the kitchen table.

"Good _afternoon_." She corrected him.

"W-what?"

James looked confused as he looked round at the clock. It was midday

"You seem to have had a bit of a lie in." Ginny remarked casually. "Enjoy your Firewhiskey?"

"H-how did you know that?" James panicked as the colour drained from his face.

"Your Uncle George Flooed us this morning and told us that Fred and yourself helped yourselves to quite a few bottles, last night." She told him.

"He was the one that brought you home, by the way. He offers you his ' _congratulations_ ' after helping him with the new super strength Puking Pastels. But you're lucky that you don't owe George and Angelina a new rug, by the way. Do you have any idea how irresponsible you have been?!" Ginny finished her tirade sternly as James winced.

" _God_! Mum not so loud. I've got a pounding headache!" He moaned.

Ginny was about to retort when the back door opened and Lily came in looking windswept.

"Hi, Mum!" She called cheerfully. "Hi, James!"

"Hi, love." Ginny called back. "Good flight?"

"Yeah, it was really great!" She replied enthusiastically. "Good Quidditch conditions!"

"Stop shouting, Lily! I've got a hangover!" James moaned. A mischievous grin spread across Lily's face as she walked up to the table.

" **HI JAMES!** " She shouted into James's ear.

James recoiled instantly and Lily burst into giggles.

"Lily, will you _stop_ being annoying?!" James exclaimed, holding his head.

"That's what little sisters are for." Lily stated simply. Ginny turned away so that her kids couldn't see her laughing.

James grumbled under his breath as Lily took her copy of _Fantastic Beasts and where to find them_ from the book shelf and sat at the table reading it.

Ginny finally took pity on her son and summoned a small bottle or fiery orange potion.

"Here." She said to him. "Drink the lot. This will cure your hangover."

James uncorked the bottle and took a swig of it. He scrunched his face up in disgust and choked on it.

"That's disgusting!" He spluttered. Lilly bust into giggles at the sight of his face.

"You should have thought about that before you drank all that Firewhiskey, last night!" Ginny retorted. "And don't you _dare_ spit it out!" She added dangerously.

James glared at her before pinching his nose and began forcing down the rest of the potion in one gulp.

Lily was watching him, smirking.

"Lily, either read your book or go and do something productive." Ginny told her.

"Laughing at my idiot brother _is_ quite productive." Lily argued calmly.

"Yes, but there are other things that are _far_ more productive." Ginny pressed. "Your room, for instance. It needs tidying."

Lily groaned. "Can't I do it tomorrow?"

"That's what you said yesterday." Ginny told her. "And the day before that and all of last week. I want that room cleaned _now_ , please."

" _So unfair!_ "Lily burst out venomously. "Why can't I do Magic outside of School like James?"

"Because James is of age and is legally an adult. _You,_ on the other hand, are not."

"He's not an adult!" Lily cried. "He's this big…. _Manchild!_ "

It was James's turn to smirk as Lily sat fuming.

"You're just jealous of my magical maturity." He grinned smugly.

"The day you're ' _magically mature_ ' will be the day that the Chudley Cannons don't finish at the bottom of the league." Lily retorted.

"Uncle Ron says their doing well this season." James snorted. "You should've seen him the other day. He was practically skipping." James roared with laughter while Lily giggled at the thought of her Uncle skipping.

Ginny rounded on James.

"I don't know what you're laughing about, young man!" She snapped. "Your room happens to be the filthiest!"

The sounds of voices echoed from the living room. James's face darkened as the laughter from Lily's face disappeared.

"Dad and Al aren't arguing _again_ , are they?" James demanded. Lily looked close to tears.

"No." Ginny said hastily. "They're just playing Exploding Snap."

James looked confused. "What are they playing Exploding Snap, for?" He asked.

"Your father and Al are working really hard to repair their relationship." Ginny told them. "This is just a way for them to spend time together."

"Well that's good," Said Lily. "I _hate_ it when they fight." James nodded sadly.

"Yeah," He said. "They can be so stubborn, sometimes."

"Well, they're working past their differences." Said Ginny. "They _are_ trying. Both of them."

"I can't forget last year when Dad said he wished Albus wasn't his son." Lily said tearfully.

Ginny walked over to Lily and wrapped and arm around her shoulders.

"Your Dad didn't mean it." She told her softly. "He regretted it the moment he said it. I _know_ your Dad. He's been beating himself up about it for a while now. He was ever so worried when Albus went missing. He loves him. He loves you all."

"Yeah, Lils." Grinned James. "You know what Dad's like when we get him started."

"You should've seen your Father when he was Al's age!" Ginny laughed as she withdrew her arm from Lily. "He could be a _nightmare_!"

"Worse then Al?" Lily grinned.

"Definitely!" Ginny chuckled. James and Lily both laughed.

"But your Dad went through a lot, at your age." Ginny said seriously after the laughter died down.

"He didn't have the love and support that we had whilst growing up. The stories of your Dad being mistreated aren't some dinner table stories. They're true. Your Uncle Ron said that your Dad had bars on his bedroom window, that summer when he went to rescue your Dad from his Aunt and Uncle's."

"Is that when Uncle Ron used Granddads flying car with Uncle George and Uncle Fred to fly to Dads?" James asked. "The one that they also flew to Hogwarts with?"

"The very same." Ginny said coolly.

"I think Al jumping off the train though beats flying a car to Hogwarts! People will be talking about that for years!" James grinned.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ginny exclaimed. "He could have been killed! He's lucky to be alive!"

"But why did he do it in the first place?" Lily asked.

Ginny explained to James and Lily that Albus and Scorpius tried to change time to save Cedric Diggory so that his father Amos could have his son back.

"He didn't know how complicated Time Turners were and he didn't realise until it was too late that that _evil_ Delphi woman was manipulating him. But he found a way to contact us and we're very proud of him. Your Father especially."

"We're proud of him too, Mum." said James.

"Yeah" Lily nodded. "We were so worried about him!"

"We didn't get any sleep, that night. We stayed awake in the Common Room waiting for news." James told Ginny.

"You should've seen your Father that night." Ginny said sadly. "I've never seen him so broken. He blamed himself, that night. Said it was all his fault. Albus said the same thing about himself. They're a funny pair, those two."

Ginny lapsed into silence as she remembered that night. Harry being transformed into Voldemort, Harry, Heartbroken at Albus's disappearance Voldemort killing Harry's parents, Harry's devastation at their deaths. The memories were enough to draw tears to her eyes.

Lily noticed and motioned sadly to James and he got up and hugged his Mother. Ginny hugged him back noting how tall he had gotten.

"I'm alright, love." She told him. "Just some bad memories. But everything's fine, now."

James let her go and pulled his wand out of his dressing gown pocket. He conjured a tissue and handed it to her.

"Thanks, love." She smiled as she dabbed her eyes. Just then, an elated shout came from the Living Room and Albus ran into the Kitchen, face flushed with happiness.

"Mum!" He cried. "I won!"

"That's great, Albus!" Ginny exclaimed as James thumped him on the back. Lily got up and hugged him.

Harry appeared at the Kitchen doorway, grinning from ear to ear, watching James and Lily congratulating Albus.

"Dad!" Lily said suddenly. "One of your eyebrows is missing!" She burst into giggles as Harry put a hand up to his missing eyebrow that seemed to have been completely burnt off. James thumped Albus on the back again.

"Brilliant, Al!" He laughed as Albus gave an embarrassed grin

"Suits you, Harry." Ginny grinned. Harry laughed.

"I'll remember that." He said dryly but he was still grinning.

"Good game, Albus." He said proudly.

"Thanks." Albus grinned. "Err…Sorry about your eyebrow, though." He added sheepishly. James and Lily laughed.

"It's just an eyebrow." Harry shrugged "I'll grow it back. The game was more important. " .

"You look a bit weird with only one eyebrow, though. Fancy a game with me, Dad?" James grinned mischievously.

"The last time I had a game with you, you almost blew up the house." Harry retorted. "Nice to see you up, by the way. Have a good night out?"

"A brilliant one, thanks." James said proudly. "Uncle George says that the super strength Puking Pastels are a resounding success. The Firewhiskey proved to be surprise ingredient."

"Well you're lucky that don't owe your Uncle George and Aunt Angelina a new rug. We're going to have to have a chat, sometime." Harry said sternly.

"Could we have a chat when you have two eyebrows, again?" James asked cheekily "The temptation to burst out laughing is surprisingly strong, right now."

Lily burst into giggles again and Albus looked like he was trying to keep a straight face. Harry shook his head in despair and Ginny stepped in quickly.

"How about you tidy your room, young man?" She said. "And _you,_ Lily." She added.

Lily groaned.

"James is just going to tidy his room with Magic!" Lily exclaimed. "It's not fair!" She stamped her foot in frustration.

"Good point." Harry said quickly. "James, give me your wand."

"What?!" James exclaimed.

"Give me your wand." Harry repeated. "This is your punishment for that reckless binge drinking last night. You know you can sometimes be far too confident for your own good."

Ginny saw Albus catch Harry's eye before quickly turning away, hiding his grin.

"So either hand over you wand or it's no Quidditch for a month." Harry finished.

The prospect of no Quidditch for a month seemed to James to be too terrible to contemplate. He handed Harry his wand without a word of complaint.

"Right. James, Lily. I want those rooms tidied, please." Ginny said.

Moaning and grumbling, James and Lily made their way upstairs. Harry said something about keeping an eye on them and followed them upstairs leaving Ginny and Albus alone.

"Well done again, Albus." Ginny said proudly. "I knew you would do it."

"I did what you suggested." Albus told her. "I gave Dad a chance and everything, and it worked."

"You _see_!?" Ginny beamed.

"Mum. I had fun with him." Albus said.

"You certainly did." Ginny remarked. "I could hear you two laughing from here. That was brilliant, by the way. Burning off your Dad's eyebrow. Suits him, don't you think?" She added slyly.

Albus gave her shy little grin as he nodded.

"When we were playing the game, it felt like he loved me." Albus confessed.

Ginny smiled sadly. "Albus." She said. "Your Dad loves you very much. He's always loved you. It's just taken him. Both of you, some time to sort things out. You haven't been arguing with him this summer, have you?"

Albus shook his head. "No. Things have been a lot better, now."

"Well there you go." Ginny beamed. "Things _are_ going better between you two. You know your Dad did the same for me after I came out of the Hospital Wing after I was taken down to The Chamber of Secrets in my First Year at Hogwarts. I was all alone and everyone was ignoring me. But then your Father came across the Common Room and challenged me to a game of Exploding Snap. I was feeling _so_ lonely but your Dad helped cheer me up that day."

"So who won?" Albus asked.

"I think we both drew." Ginny laughed. "But I know it's hard, when you have people expecting you to be like your Father all the time. But the best bits of your Dad, are heroic in really quiet ways. Something which I think has been passed onto you."

Albus looked embarrassed.

"I'm nothing like Dad." He mumbled. "I'm more like you. Dad said so himself."

"You've got your Dad's quiet heroism." Ginny told him. "You befriended Scorpius when no one else would. You're more like him then you know, Albus."

Ginny's words seemed to have an effect on Albus. He seemed to inflate right before her eyes and he looked far happier then she had seen him in a while.

"I'm going to keep trying." He told her. "Things haven't been this good for a while, now. I don't want to screw this up."

"That's another thing of your Father's that you've got: His sheer determination." Ginny smiled.

Albus seemed to, if it were possible, to inflate even further at her words. His bright green eyes, so much like his Fathers, sparkled with happiness as he beamed at her.

"You really think I'm like Dad?" Albus asked her. His voice full of hope.

"I think you've got the best of both of us." Ginny said thoughtfully. "But you definitely have your Dads tendency to wander off and get into trouble. I know you saved the world but a lot of people were worried about you. You need to speak to James and Lily, by the way. They were just telling me that they were worried about you."

Albus nodded as Harry came back into the Kitchen, eyebrow still missing.

"Everything alright up there?" Ginny asked him.

"Yeah." Harry sighed. "They should be finished, soon."

"Dad. Your eyebrow's still missing." Albus pointed out.

"Oh yeah. I don't have time to re grow it yet. I've got to de gnome the garden." Harry said. "That was brilliant, by the way, our game." He continued. "It was great. Spending time with you."

Ginny decided to get on with the washing up as she thought that Harry and Albus's conversation was a private one. But she still listened in.

"I liked spending time with you as well." Albus was saying. "Dad. When we were playing, it felt like you loved me."

Ginny felt a pang in her heart.

"I _do_ love you, Albus." Harry was saying. "I love you very much, I should've said it, a long time ago. It's just…I'm not very good with feelings, you know. I'm going to try and work on that. I don't want to screw this up."

"Neither do I." Albus admitted. "And thanks. I-I love you too. I always have. It's just… You could drive me crazy, sometimes. You still do, as a matter of fact."

Ginny suppressed a laugh as she thought exactly the same thing.

"But I really did have fun with you. Thanks for the game."

There was silence and Ginny turned around to see Albus hugging Harry. Tears sprang to her eyes at the sight and she wiped them away to see Harry's eyes bright with tears as well.

"You're hugging me again." Harry noted. Voice choked with emotion.

"Think of it as a new version of us." Albus said.

"That's a brilliant way of looking at it." Harry laughed.

They parted and the usual silence fell between them but Ginny noticed that it wasn't as awkward as it used to be.

"Do you want a hand?" Albus asks suddenly. "With de-gnoming the garden, I mean."

"You want to help de gnome the garden with me?" Harry asked slowly, looking touched.

"Yeah." Albus said. "You said it needs doing and I don't mind helping, so…"

"That's very thoughtful of you, Albus. " Harry beamed. "We usually have to force you lot at wand point to help around the House. Do you want to put your dragonskin gloves on? Because they sure can bite, those Gnomes. They're a lot more vicious then the ones at The Burrow."

Albus said that he would get them and rushed off upstairs leaving Harry and Ginny alone. Ginny took one look at her Husband's burnt off eyebrow and burst out laughing.

"Sorry." She said after she calmed down. "It's just that he got you good and proper, there."

Harry was grinning.

"Yeah. He did." He laughed. His voice full of pride. "You were right. I think we _were_ missing Exploding Snap."

Ginny shook her head at her Husband in despair.

"The important thing is that he felt that love from you that he didn't feel before." She said. "You were yourself, for once and were honest with him."

"You should've seen him, Gin." Harry smiled. "I haven't seen Albus this happy since before he started Hogwarts."

"It's taken a bit of time, for both of you. But you're getting there. As I knew you would." Ginny told him.

Harry raised his remaining eyebrow.

"You knew we would get there?" He asked, amazed.

"I never doubted you." Ginny said. "James and Lily were a bit worried about you two earlier. You might want to have a chat with them."

"Are they alright?" Harry asked worriedly.

"They are now. They were quite pleased when I told them that you two were playing Exploding Snap. They thought you two were having another argument."

Harry looked guilty and he ran his hand through his hair again.

"Ginny." He said suddenly. "You know that you tasted Chocolate last night when we…"

" _Yes_ " Ginny said, eyes narrowing.

"Well I _might_ have some hidden away, but it's for medicinal purposes."

"Medicinal purposes?" Ginny repeated. "That's a new one." She said dryly

"Well, I've found out that Chocolate is very good for nightmares as well as Dementors." Harry said sheepishly. "And I gave Albus some last night for his nightmare. I need it in my line of work, anyway. After all the things I've seen"

Ginny's expression softened.

"You're lucky you've only got one eyebrow at the moment, Harry Potter because that's just saved you from being hexed into next week." She laughed.

"So I'm forgiven?" Harry grinned hopefully. Ginny thought for a moment.

" _Well_. It did help Albus with his nightmare." She said slowly. "And I know that you get a lot of nightmares. So yes. You're forgiven. But if you lie to me again, you'll be sleeping on the sofa." She finished dangerously.

Albus came back into the Kitchen with his dragonskin gloves.

"James and Lily said they're going to help us." He told Harry.

"That's great!" Harry beamed.

"Are you going to help us, Mum?" Albus asked Ginny.

Ginny looked between Harry and Albus who were watching her hopefully.

"All right then." She said. "I'll get my gloves."

Ten minutes later, the Garden was full of flying Gnomes and laughter as the five Potters de Gnomed the Garden.

* * *

Thank you for reading


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